


All Roads Lead Here

by Authormitchel



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-22
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-11-17 11:06:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11274180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Authormitchel/pseuds/Authormitchel
Summary: When Niall returns from his backpacking trip to find Liam's girlfriend in his bed, naked, he knows he should have more questions, but since this is something that he has wanted for longer than anyone can ever know he decides to wait until the morning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading this. This is my first proper One Direction fic, and it has been on my laptop for awhile so here it is. Please follow me on tumblr at thinkmyhappythoughts if you are interested in more 1D or Harry Potter fics and theories. Thank you again. Love you.

The flight had been long. The trip with the guys had been planned out well before the hiatus. It was going to be a nice break after all the touring. He’d get to see some sights, relax, but if Niall had known that this was what was waiting for him when he came   
home he probably would have skipped it altogether. He rubbed at his eyes, the black spots disappearing slowly as he dropped his bags to the floor quietly, just in case this was actually real. Maybe it was sheer force of will, maybe it was his subconscious finally   
getting back at him for starving it from what it was used to. Every pushed aside thought, every forced conversation so his mind wouldn’t drift back to her, maybe he was being punished, or maybe Niall was just finally losing it. She shifts from where she’s lying   
on the bed, flipping to her back, and well, apparently his cock doesn’t care if this is a dream or not. She’s naked, arms stretched up above her head, hair splayed out on the pillow, on his pillow. Her t-shirt is lying on the floor next to the bed, just one of the   
many new things in the room that definitely don’t belong to him. Her face is calm with sleep, and even if it would take just a second to wake her, to get some answers, he can’t do it. An excuse rushes to the forefront of his mind, “great timing” he congratulates   
his now fueled subconscious. He’s just too tired, jet lag or something, he rationalizes. This is perfectly normal, not weird at all. He’s just too tired, too tired to care about why she’s here, or why she’s not with Liam, what’s happened, or just why the girl of his   
dreams is currently naked in his bed. None of that matters, not when she looks like that anyways. 

Slipping out of the room as quietly as he can, Niall falls onto the sofa with a thump, part of him praying that this is just a dream that he’ll wake up from, and part of him really, really hoping that her voice is the first thing he hears when he wakes up   
tomorrow morning. 

He met her in the produce section. He just stood there like some sort of creepy stalker watching as she squeezed the apples and scrutinized the color of the avocados. Quite the professional she was, but it wasn’t until she lifted a cantaloupe up to her   
ear and shook it, that he just couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Getting a little familiar there, aren’t you?” he asked her, laughing lightly at the concentrated look on her face. 

“Oh no,” she replied, not even looking in his direction. “I’d like to think we’re all good friends by now.” 

“Of course,” replied Niall. “All good friends like to feel each other up every now and again.” 

She had laughed at that, smile wide and happy. Wow. She was even more gorgeous head on. Wide pretty eyes, long brown hair, a hair bit taller than him, but he couldn’t seem to care. He was stuck. 

“You all right?” she asked. “You’re not having an aneurysm are you?”

“N..no,” he stuttered out, his cheeks turning hot and pink. 

That always seemed to happen when she was around. 

“Care to tell me how I can tell which one’s the best?” she had asked, breaking him out of his stupor. He shook his head yes, fully prepared to feign whatever fruit knowledge he needed to be able to speak to her for one more moment. By the time they had both checked out, Niall had forgotten half of the things he came to the store for, bought three whole cantaloupes, and had apparently forgotten how to speak. 

He wanted to ask her then. Wanted to ask her anything. It was all at the tip of his tongue as they went to say goodbye. “Do you want to get coffee sometime?” “Can I have your number?” “Could I see you again?” It was all right there, but it never came out. Instead she bumped her hip against his, a gesture she would copy many times, and said, “See you around, Niall.” Later, he would wish to see her again, but he should have known to be more careful about what he wished for. 

Liam had been on for weeks about this girl he had met. She was funny. She was gorgeous and smart. Apparently, she was everything Liam had ever wanted in a girl, but this was also the umpteenth time that Niall had heard the exact same thing so he barely looked up from thumbing his way through Twitter. 

It was always like this. Liam loved love. He loved being in a relationship, loved having someone to be there, to care for, someone to give all his attention to, and be the receiver of all of theirs. They had just gotten back from their holiday break with another tour just around the corner. It would be the last one for a while, and frankly, they were all ready for the break. They were gathered together to start the rehearsals, some of the new songs needed some work, but so far things were going great, but the only thing Liam could talk about was her. 

“She just gets me,” Liam had said. “I really like her.”

“Isn’t that what you said about the last one?” Harry asked. “and the one before that?” Louis followed up, but Liam was insistent. 

“This time it’s different, she’s different. You’ll see,” he had promised. Niall should have closed out of Twitter. Maybe then he wouldn’t have been so surprised when he saw her again. They were all gathered together, Liam had insisted that they all get together for dinner that night, insistent to spend more time together though they would be doing enough of that in the next nine months anyway, but Niall had went. 

He had been feeling out of sorts all day, but Liam’s pleading voice meant that there was no way he could cancel. “I just want you guys to meet her is all,” Liam had said. “It’s getting pretty serious, and I want to introduce you guys.”

And well, who can say no to Liam?

At first it was like Niall lost all ability to differentiate between reality and what was playing in his head. She had been a staple there ever since that day at the supermarket, content and comfortable sitting on a stool in the corner of his mind. He told himself that every time he went out of his way to that particular store that it didn’t matter if he saw her again or not, and he told himself that, that feeling of missing something when he left without a glimpse of her was completely normal. She was just a girl, just a pretty girl who had made him laugh, and who seemed to like him. She was just a pretty girl, there were millions more like her and it wouldn’t matter soon anyways. He couldn’t start anything now. It would be unfair to the both of them. So why couldn’t he get that gnawing feeling that he was forgetting something important out of his head? Maybe that’s why he was having such trouble now that she was actually in front of him. He was early to the restaurant, knowing Harry would be as well, and it would give him time to get settled before the others showed up, but when Liam walked in his arm around her, that gnawing feeling finally caught up to him, and he remembered. 

Maybe she wouldn’t be as funny as she was that day. Maybe she had horrible table manners. Maybe she had an obnoxious laugh. He had waited, dutifully waited for her to mess up, for her to say something that would quiet that voice inside of his head, something that would dull that thumping in his heart that speed up anytime she even glanced in his direction, but there was nothing. There was nothing that night, even though neither of them said anything about having met already, and there was nothing in the weeks after that either. He caught glimpses of her when she would skype Liam on tour, all ready for bed, hair in a bun waving at them even as Liam ushered the rest of them from the room so he could talk to her in peace. He would hand Niall the phone, telling him to talk to her while he pried his Gatorade soaked shirt from his body so she wouldn’t have to call him back. He would shower as fast as he could because he just had to tell her about the show, but until then Niall could fill her in on what she missed. 

She talked to everyone like they were old friends of hers, and she remembered everything anyone had ever told her because no passing detail was unimportant if you bothered to bring it up, she had told him once. He was in love with her. From that first day in the market he was in love with her, but it could never happen. 

Liam was his friend, one of his very best friends, and friends just didn’t do that to one another. So, that meant keeping his distance. That meant more golfing with Harry and more conversations with Louis when she was visiting Liam. When he could smell her perfume instead of just imagining it, when he could hear her laugh, and see her smile, when he could talk to her in person instead of the little scenarios that were constantly playing out inside his head. He had to build a wall of other people between them. He had to separate the two different versions of her, the one that he had met and fallen for that day, the one that he could have had if he had just opened his mouth, and the one that didn’t belong to him, the one she actually was, the one that belonged to Liam. One was Liam’s and one was his, and the pair could never meet, but he wasn’t sure who this one belonged to. 

Liam is the kind of guy who picks up a bottle and tosses it in the bin after someone else has missed, and didn’t bother to pick it up. Liam is the kind of guy who sings show tunes in the shower, and who makes up silly songs when you’re feeling sick. Liam was there for him through every single one of his breakups, through the bumpy times in the beginning of the band, through everything. Liam was not the kind of guy who did stuff like this, but everything she couldn’t say was right there in front of Niall’s face. 

“Niall,” her voice had rang out when he heard his bedroom door open followed quickly by, “Oh my gosh.” She hopped back into his room, probably to put on more suitable clothes. He sat up on his couch, neck sore, and stale airport clothes begging him to take a shower, and waited for her to peak her head back out the door. 

“I am so sorry,” she said. “I…” she stuttered. “It was just so hot in your guest bedroom, and I didn’t know how to work your air. I was going to wash everything up, and clean and yeah, you wouldn’t have ever known that I was here, well, if you hadn’t have come back early,” she rambled, her cheeks flushed with sleep and embarrassment. 

“But why are you here?” he asked, ignoring the tinge of awe he always felt in her presence. 

“I knew you wouldn’t be here,” she answered simply. “I thought you said you were going home for a while when you got back from your trip, and that I’d be able to hide out here until everything died down.”

She gave him a weak smile. “People were everywhere. I couldn’t get online or go to the store without being hounded by everyone who just had to give me their opinion right then. It was hard hearing it confirmed over and over again.”

“Have you called him?” asked Niall. 

She huffed. “No, I think I’ve seen enough, Niall.”

Niall shook his head. 

“It’s already pretty damning. Have you seen it?” she asked. 

Niall shook his head, no, he had not. 

“I knew that if I went home that he would find me. He’d be bent on talking it out, on rehashing it, and I just couldn’t stand that, Ni.” 

She’s crying. And Niall doesn’t know where the line is. You don’t comfort your mate’s ex-girlfriend the way Niall wanted to take care of Alex. That was against so many bro code laws Niall couldn’t even count. 

You still consider him a friend? The voice in Niall’s head asked. Really? 

Alex turned away from him. 

“I shouldn’t have come here.” She made to leave, but Niall grabbed her hand, almost reflexively. She looked like every wall she had ever put up had been blown apart from the inside out and Niall wanted nothing more than to pull her onto his lap, and   
try to help her rebuild them. 

“Niall,” said Alex, and he realized he was still holding her hand. He had two choices. One, he could let her go and hope somehow she and Liam could work it out or number two, he could give into that voice in his head that told him that it should have been him. Or a third choice, he could be a friend. 

“Come with me,” Niall proposed. “I’m going home this weekend. Come with me. Get away from all this.” 

Alex looked at him, and not for the first time Niall was struck by how lovely she was. It didn’t matter if her eyes were red from tears or if she still had bed head, Alex was still one of the most amazing people Niall had ever met, and he wanted nothing more than for her to agree to come with him. Alex nodded, her evaluation coming to an end. 

“Will you?” asked Niall. 

Niall stood and released her hand allowing himself to brush at a stray tear under her eye. She nodded once, but Niall knew it was enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Niall had a few rules. As not only a control freak, but also a neat freak it was best for everyone if said rules were followed to the letter. Alex’s feet on his dashboard wasn’t exactly complying with his rules. Head leaned against the window, mouth wide open, feet on the dashboard, and fast asleep. Alex had been out for the past half hour and Niall needed to stop and get some gas. Pulling off into a convenience shop Niall headed inside to pay and buy some snacks for the road. He knew there’d be nothing in his fridge when they got there and Alex would surely be hungry. Niall grabbed a couple bags of chips and a couple of waters, wisely ignoring the half priced sushi in the glass case. 

He knew he shouldn’t, but he had only seen the photo briefly when Alex had shown it to him earlier. Niall hopped behind the last person in line, and pulled out his phone. Damn google, it was too easy to find and all he did was type in Liam’s name. Apparently, it was a tabloid fucking field day, and all the sharks were coming out to feed. No wonder Alex had tried to get away. The Sun. Star. Us Weekly. Even more credible sources like People had a spot for the heartbreaking story on their cover. One Direction member Liam Payne caught cheating on long time girlfriend Alex Ballerini. Caught! Boyband Member Liam Payne’s Tour Exploits. 

But it was the photo that was the worst. Dark hair and red lips, she was exactly the kind of girl Liam was known to chase. Damning his friend even more than the fact that his lips were attached to hers. Niall was all too familiar with how Liam showed affection. He and Alex had never shied away from public displays though Liam was always the one to initiate the more overt displays. Niall knew how Liam held Alex as he kissed her. Niall knew Liam’s type, and Niall knew he hadn’t been out with Liam when this photo was taken. Their vocal coach had demanded that while they were in Italy that Niall take it easy, calming tea and definitely no alcohol. So, when some of the boys proposed going out, Niall had declined. He heard them come in that night. Louis always was a loud drunk, but the next day nothing had seemed out of ordinary. Liam had met the rest of them on the tour bus a little later, but Niall just assumed he was a little hungover like he normally was after a night out. He always went a little harder when he knew they didn’t have a show the next day. 

Niall closed out of the site and cleared his history just in case Alex got a hold of his phone for one reason or another. She hadn’t wanted to stop and get another one before they left so Niall told her that she could use his if she needed it. 

Alex was awake when he got back to the car. 

“I got you a water,” said Niall as he handed her the bottle. “And some candy.”

She smiled at him. “Thanks, oh, M&M’s, my favorite.”

“I know,” Niall said before he could stop himself. Though Alex didn’t seem to catch the slip.

“We should be there soon,” said Niall as he cranked the ignition. 

“Great,” she replied, grabbing her purse and pulling it onto her lap. She flipped down the visor and leaned forward. 

“I look like crap,”

Niall glanced over at her. “Ahh,” he said, jokingly. 

“Not going to deny it?” she asked. 

“With that bed head?” said Niall. “No way.” 

Alex leaned over and made a jab for his ribs. 

“Hey, I’m trying to drive here,” he said. Trying and failing to stay focused on the road as she pulled out some chapstick and put it on, getting some lotion next and dabbing some out on her hands. She pulled a hair tie from her arm and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Niall tried and failed not to look at the line of her shoulders and the base of her neck as she twisted and turned to put her hair up in a nice style. 

“Let’s listen to the radio,” said Alex. “Do you mind?” she asked even as she went for the dial turning it to some pop station Niall never would have listened to otherwise. 

“Waiting for one of our songs?” asked Niall, before thinking better of it. “Uhh, maybe we should listen to another station.” He didn’t know how she would react if she heard Liam’s voice now. He reached for the radio, not wanting to chance it, but she stopped his hand with hers. 

“I’m not that weak, Niall,” said Alex, smiling at him kindly. 

“Besides, I want to be Zayn,” she said. “He always gets the best parts.” 

Niall clicked his tongue, and pulled his hand back, ignoring the way her hand felt on his as he turned back to the road, praying for once not to hear his song on the radio. 

 

They got in late. Niall gave her a little tour, then showed her to the guest bedroom. They had stopped for some more substantial food before they got there, and Niall promised that he would go to the store first thing in the morning. He gave her some clean sheets for the bed, and helped her put them on before showing her where the towels were so she could take a shower if she wanted. 

Niall had moved to the living room and puttered about a bit before moving to his own room to shower off the travelling smell. That was when his stomach grumbled. Niall thought he might have some bread or something that wasn’t completely molded left in the kitchen, enough to make a sandwich at least. He was stopped at Alex’s door to ask her if she wanted anything when he heard it. 

He can hear her through the door, quiet sobs like she has both hands over her mouth, but the grief just won’t stay in. He used to get these nightmares. It was around the time his parents separated, and on the nights where he couldn’t rationalize the fear away he would crawl to the middle of his bed and let the tears fall. He’d put his hand over his mouth and hope he didn’t make enough noise to wake up Greg. Every kid got them, and Niall knew it was nothing to be ashamed of, but there were times when he wished he could have just let it go, to have someone be there and tell him it was just a dream without feeling like it would be an inconvenience to them if he did. 

So, he knocked.

The crying stopped in an instant, and Niall knew she probably wanted to be left alone. She had gotten the worst of it for the past week, and she never did like to admit when she felt less than. Liam always complained about how she would never let him over when she wasn’t feeling well. Fucking Liam. 

He rests the back of his hand on his forehead and takes a breath. 

“Alex,” he calls tentatively. “I’m coming in,” Niall warns. He gives her a few seconds to tell him no, or tell him to go to hell, but when she doesn’t he pushes the door open. The rooms dark and he doesn’t bother turning on the light. He can see good enough. 

She’s sitting in the middle of the bed, her legs pretzeled, elbows on her knees, hands cradling her head. Tears pool in her eyes and before Niall’s better sense can get a hold of him he’s already on the bed. He surrounds himself around her like a physical barrier that could separate her from all the shit she’s going through. 

“Alex,” he mutters. He wants to tell her it’ll be okay, that she’ll stop feeling like this, that one day she’ll move on, but he knows that’s not what she wants to hear. 

“Lay down,” he says instead. She gives him a quizzical look. “You need to get some sleep,” he explains. She looks panicked. 

“I can’t, Ni, I’ve tried,” She sounds tired and hoarse from crying, but Niall won’t concede on this. 

“Come on,” he urges. “I’ll stay with you.” She relaxes at that. Her shoulders untensing as she does as he asks. She rolls to her side leaving more than enough space for Niall beside her. He laid down, careful to leave some space between them. Lovers   
slept close, friends, even friends where one was really attracted to the other kept their distance. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Alex speaks up, startling Niall out of his thoughts. “That’s fine,” Niall replies. He doesn’t want to talk about it either. He knows it isn’t the same, but Niall feels like Alex isn’t the only one Liam made a fool out of. Niall thought he knew Liam, but then how could he not have known Li was capable of this? Apart of him is just floored, but an equal part screams at him that he should have known all along, yells that he never would have stooped that low, that he never would have done that to her, not to anyone. It’s that same part that whispers that he was the better man after all. 

“I don’t want to talk about anything,” he says instead. “I’m going to sleep.” Niall hears her chuckle, and the atmosphere in the room lifts. “Fine, then,” Alex snorts, and Niall knows she’s smiling. 

“Goodnight, Niall.”

“Night, Alex.” He waits until even breathing fills the room before he closes his eyes, happy he knocked and even happier that she let him in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you do when you go to Ireland???

The phone rings. 

It’s Liam.

Niall tells his heart to stop beating like that.

“She’s downstairs,” he says aloud. He can hear her moving, the clang of pots and pans and the smell of pancakes fills the air. But, he doesn’t answer. 

What could he possibly have to say? Niall pressed the ignore button, silencing his phone. Niall didn’t want to hear Liam moan and bitch about Alex leaving him or about how guilty he felt. He didn’t want to give Liam the satisfaction of getting anything off his chest. If anything Niall was glad to let him suffer. No, Niall decided, let the fucker wait. He had breakfast waiting for him. 

By the time Niall’s up and moving the next morning, he finds that Alex is already awake. She’s sitting at the table, having carefully succeeded in balancing a spoon on the end of her nose. 

“Wa lah!!!” she proclaimed proudly. 

“Very impressive,” Niall noted. 

“I’m a woman of many talents.” 

“I’m sure,” replied Niall. “You went to the store?” 

“Couldn’t sleep,” she said, placing a plate full of pancakes in front of him. 

Niall takes a deliberate bite conscious of Alex’s eager eyes keeping watch over her orange juice. 

“I’m not going to choke you know,” he spoke with his mouth full.

“Niall,” admonished Alex.

“What?” he laughed, shoving another forkful in his mouth. Ana rolled her eyes, and Niall took pity on her. 

“Phenomenal.”

“You mean it?” 

“They’re great, really.” She looks relieved and cute, Niall notes, in her little sleep shorts and bed head, fresh faced and flushed, happy with his approval. Had Liam never told her how good of a cook she was or had they been so busy she never got a chance to cook for him? Liam wasn’t really a stay at home kind of guy. 

With a nod, Niall shakes the thought away. This was a Liam free zone, besides Niall had plans. 

He stood and moved to the window. It was piss pouring rain, but he wouldn’t be deterred. He turned to Alex and smiled. 

“I hope you brought your rain boots.”

 

 

“The Blarney Stone? I can’t believe you drove me all the way here so I could kiss a rock?” 

Niall hadn’t thought so much about the kissing bit. He mainly had this image of Alex in his mind, this vision of her smile, laughing because she thinks he’s silly and wonderful. Alex just being happy. 

“You know,” Alex says as she gets out of the car. “I’ve been all over the world, but nothings as cool as a castle.”

“Right,” Niall murmurs shaking himself out of his revere. 

“Mr. Horan.” 

And that must be Niall’s ground contact, Mr. Pritchard. Niall had to pull a few strings to get them here, mainly the ones labeled One Direction and multi-millionarie, but with another smile from Alex, Niall knew it was worth it.

“The Blarney Stone is a block of Carboniferous limestone that was built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. It’s said that kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab. The stone was a set into a tower of the castle in 1446. Tourists have come from all over the world to kiss the stone and tour the castle and it’s lush gardens.” 

Niall had never known history could be so interesting. As Alex listened to Mr. Pritchard and they got nearer to the castle her eyes widened and the cold caught at her cheeks making them flush. Niall knew she wouldn’t dress warm enough, she never did. Only this time Liam wasn’t around to shrug out of his jacket and through it over her shoulders. Niall briefly wondered if he should do the same, but before he got the chance Alex was asking him for his hand as she leaned back to kiss the stone. 

“I really hope I don’t get herpes from this,” said Alex. Niall guffawed though Mr. Pritchard looked less amused. Niall held her hand as she got in place, and desperately tried not to stare at the patch of skin that was exposed when she was leaned back like that. 

“I feel like I should make a wish first,” muttered Alex. Niall felt a raindrop hit his cheek. 

“Well, let’s be hurrying it up there love, I’m getting wet.”

Alex laughed.

“Always so impatient,” scolded Alex even as she closed her eyes and kissed the stone, her shirt riding up a little more. 

Niall thought he was going to die.

As she stood up her hair was wild, and her cheek flushed, but she looked…..happy. Quickly taking her spot Niall leaned back. 

“You’re going to do it?” asked Alex incredulously. 

“Of course, what did ya think I was going to drive all this way and not get herpes? In for a penny in for a pound.” Niall tilted his head back and kissed the stone. He could’ve got up on his own, but when Alex reached for his hand Niall let her take it. 

He was back on his feet, but didn’t let her hand go. 

“Did you make a wish?” she wanted to know. 

Niall shook his head, he wasn’t the kind of person who made wishes. Even if he was he’s not sure he could tell her about it anyway. Some things were meant to keep to yourself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only research I did for that last chapter was the wiki page about the Blarney Stone. Alex and Niall's relationship is progressing, I hope y'all like the next few chapters.

For once he woke up before she did. It rarely happened, the trip yesterday must have worn her out more than he thought. Now, Niall knew his cooking skills weren’t the greatest…..well, actually, they were shit, but he did his best. Shit as they were, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t make toast. He was bad, but he wasn’t that bad. 

The toast was in the toaster, and the water was on, ready to boil. Ana was still asleep and everything was going great until the phone rang. 

“What do you want Ollie?” 

“Ouch,” said Ollie. “Is that any way for you to talk to your best friend?” 

Niall sighed, pulling the kettle off before it screamed so loud it woke the Queen up all the way back in London. 

“Come out with us tonight.”

“No,” Niall was stern. 

“Yes,” countered Ollie. 

“Come on Horan, you have to come.”

“Ollie, I’m really…I can’t, you know…”

Ollie cut in. “Come on Ni, don’t you want to introduce us to your new girl.” 

Niall ground his teeth. Ollie always was a nosy fucker. 

“She’s just a friend.”

“Good,” Ollie answered. “Cause she’s hot.”

Niall nearly dropped the tea cups he was holding. His grandmother would not have been happy, they were a gift. “No and no. You will stay far away from Alex.” 

“Oh, so you do like her.”

“You’re an idiot,” Niall said instead of giving Ollie a real answer. “How do you even know about her?” 

“OI, YOU ARSEHOLE!!!” Ollie yelled into the phone causing Niall to stumble with the toast in hand. 

“Ollie!” scolded Niall. He really didn’t have time for this. 

“Sorry, mate, darn guy on a bike nearly ran me off the sidewalk, the cunt. My aunt Molly saw you as you drove into town. She was already to go to the paper and tell them that you were engaged before I stopped her. You should be thanking me, Horan. Look Ni, I’ve got to go, but we’ll be expecting you tonight at Geysers, okay?” 

Niall huffed in exasperation. “Fine, damn it.”

“You’ll come?” 

“I said fine,” huffed Niall. He didn’t like to be pushed into things. 

“Okay,” Ollie said, clearly pleased with himself. 

“See you later Princess.” 

“OLLIE!!,” Niall yells into the phone, but all he gets is a dial tone. 

“YOU BASTARD! Fucking unrea…..”

“Niall.”

Niall had been hoping for a sleep sated Alex and a decent breakfast to present her with. Instead he had burnt toast, jelly on his forehead, and as far as Alex knew he had just called his mom a bastard. 

“That was Ollie,” Niall explained quickly as Allie walked over and scooped up a piece of toast. 

“And that is?” she asked. 

Niall blushed. “Just a friend, a very annoying, horrible friend.” 

Alex pulls a chair out, and sits. She pulls her leg up, her black stretch pants not long enough to cover her toes though she tries once. Maybe he should turn down the air, people always complained that he kept it to cool. Niall sighed.

He knew Ollie, and he also knew that if he didn’t come out after Ollie expressly mentioned it that Niall would pay. Ollie was an evil genius, and his revenge always left scorch marks. 

“They want us to go out tonight?”

“Your friends?” Alex perked up at that. 

“Yeah,” stuttered Niall. “I mean, if you want to, just for a drink or two, nothing big you know….” Niall was rambling. He felt like an idiot, and he’s pretty sure he still had jelly on his forehead. He rubs his hand across it self-consciously. Alex smiles at him, clearly amused. 

“Okay,” she agrees. 

“Okay?” 

“Yeah, could be fun,” Alex agreed. 

Niall took a bite out of his toast. “Okay then, I’ll call them and let them know we’ll be there.”

It’ll be fine, Niall told himself. It was just drinks with a few people. People Niall actually liked, his friends. 

Yeah, everything would be okay. 

 

&&&

Everything was not okay. Yeah, remember those people Niall likes, his good friends who he has actually been looking forward to seeing. Yeah, not anymore. Niall went to school with Tom and his wife Maggie, who Alex had instantly clicked with. Ollie was there with his current flavor. Niall thought her name was Sara, but honestly he couldn’t remember. That left Colby, a guy who worked at one of the arenas he and the guys had performed at a few times, he and Niall had gotten along instantly. Niall always called him up to get a drink whenever he knew he would be in town. The problem though, was with who Colby brought along. Declan. 

More specifically the way Declan couldn’t keep his mouth shut or his eyes off of Alex. Tall and built he was everything Niall wasn’t. He was even a real blonde, not that Niall ever thought Alex would go for such a tool. He was just concerned for her, as a friend. She was too smart to fall for stupid Declan and his stupid radioactively white smile and his stupid compliments. Niall had made sure to warn everyone not to mention what Ollie so delicately dubbed as the Italian situation. Alex was going through something right now, and she didn’t need to be reminded of it when she was trying to have a good time. 

Niall bristled as Declan leaned over to whisper something to Alex making her laugh. And he was about to flip. “So, Alex,” started Maggie. “What do you do for a living?” 

“I’m a travel nurse.” 

“That’s amazing,” Sara said, pulling herself away from Ollie long enough to comment. 

Declan smirked. “I’d let you patch me up any day.” The fucker. 

Niall spoke up. “She’s a nurse not a vet.”

And okay, maybe that was a little dickish, but Declan was unfazed. 

“Well, I have been called a jackass once or twice.” The group laughed, the tension Niall had created vanished in a flash. Niall huffed a breath and stood from the table. 

“I’m getting another drink,” 

Niall was fucked. He had known it for a while, but Declan had settled it.

Completely.

Niall was in love with his best friend’s ex-girlfriend, and at the back of his mind, he knows he has been since the day he first met her. He rubs a hand over his face, and orders another pint. He’s a sip in when the beer he’s paid way too much for gets sloshed all over his shirt. 

“What the hell?” he curses the idiot who just bumped him. He fans out his shirt only looking up when the dick doesn’t immediately offer up an explanation. “Alex?”

“What’d you do that for?” he asks when he realizes it’s her. 

“You know why Niall, what’s your problem?”

“My problem?” countered Niall. “What’s yours?” And help him, he falters when she looks so confused. That’s because she was only flirting with him in your imagination, his subconscious offers. 

Niall gets closer to her like he’s telling her some sort of secret, like she should be ashamed, but really he’s only ashamed that he can’t squelch his feelings for this girl. 

“Don’t you think you’re getting a little familiar over there?”

“What?” she asks confused. “With Declan?” she asks, recognition dawning. She huffs. “You’ve got to be kidding me….”

“It’s been what, not even a week, but watch out everyone Alex is ready for a new…..”

And she slapped him. Hard. 

His nerves registered the pain, but that didn’t hurt as badly as watching her hand move back to her side, it was shaking. He was an idiot. And a jerk. But he still chased her as she left the bar. 

“Where are you going?” he yelled at her as he followed her down the street. His place was in the opposite direction, but she didn’t seem to care. 

“Far away from you,” she yelled. Good, Niall thought, at least she was talking to him. “I didn’t mean it,” Niall yelled at her. 

“You’ve never lied to me before Niall, don’t do it now,” she replied. Niall runs to catch up with her. Never a fan of heels, she was moving as fast as she could to get away from him, but Niall wasn’t letting her go. 

“I’M AN IDIOT!!!!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. People on the street turned to stare at him, and Alex stopped dead. 

“I’M A MASSIVE FUCKBOY! I’M A TOOL AND MY DEAR FRIEND ALEX IS A GODDESS WHOSE FRIENDSHIP I DON’T DESERVE!!!!!!!!!”

Alex turned to face him, face stoic. People had gathered round them now, watching the scene unfold, a few eagerly reaching for their cell phones. Now, that wouldn’t do, Niall thought, and thankfully Alex seemed to have the same idea. 

She turned and grabbed his hand, pulling him away from the gathering crowd and into a small alleyway. 

“And you’re an idiot,” she supplied when she was sure it was just the two of them. 

“Yes, one hundred and fifteen thousand percent, and I honestly didn’t mean what I said. It’s just I don’t trust that guy,” he said, not proud that he couldn’t say Declan’s name out loud. 

She was very interested in the wall by Niall’s head. 

“Look at me, Alex. I promise you that I didn’t mean it,” Niall said again. She had to believe him. This was quickly becoming the place that Alex became herself again. She was laughing, and the periods of time where she was solemn and quiet were growing few and far between. Niall only wanted that to continue. He wanted things to be like they were before, and now, he had possibly fucked that all up just because he couldn’t keep his own jealousies or insecurities in check. 

“I’ll do whatever you want. I’m sorry for being a dick, and I’ll even go back in there and apologize to….Declan, if you want me too.” 

Alex shook her head, finally meeting his gaze. 

She smiled. 

“That sounds like a perfect idea.”

“What?” Niall asked, not seriously thinking that she would take him up on that. 

“Yeah,” she said, and as Niall took his place on the bar’s stage he remembered just why Liam and Alex hardly ever fought. Alex Ballerini was an evil, evil woman. 

 

&&&

 

“I’m so, so, shocked,” Declan said as he took his place on the stool his friends had so graciously placed on the stage for him. 

The D.J was cueing up the song, and since Niall was a hometown boy, yes that meant that they had all of them. Now, which song was she going to choose? Spotting her over at the speakers, he watched as all his friends and the rest of the bar’s patrons gathered at the front of the stage all chanting, “Doran!!! Doran!!!” Declan and Horan, apparently, her revenge meant that Niall was getting engaged tonight. 

“Not quite,” she had told them when they got back to the bar. “but you will cause quite the sensation on the internet.” 

“Phones to the ready….” She called over the bar’s loud speakers, and Declan, the fucker, who Niall still did not like looked up at Niall and winked at him as “Nobody Compares” starts playing over the speakers.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Smut.

Alex was still laughing as they walked through the front door, several drinks in and a serenade already making its rounds on the internet, Niall was beat and humiliated, but altogether happy that whatever bridge could have sprang up between them had been covered before it got too late. 

It was two weeks of fun and relaxing and hanging out with Niall’s friends, yes, even Declan and with everyday Alex was getting better. And Niall was falling harder. It was getting harder for him to ignore the feeling that he got when he saw her every morning fresh out of bed and making them breakfast, or to pretend that he wasn’t looking at her every second or counting them down until he could look at her again. 

It was downright domestic, they would go to the store together and Niall would take her to all the places that he went as a kid, all his “hangouts” as she called them. They would hang out with his friends, and they would talk, and on nights when she couldn’t do anything but cry Niall would hold her until she felt like talking or until they fell asleep. 

They were friends, and for the first time Niall actually felt like he had earned that title. 

“No way, I can’t believe he did that,” said Alex. 

“I’m telling you, Louis is a flipping machine,” said Niall.   
Late one night, after a few rounds with the guys, Niall was telling her some stories about their tour exploits, carefully leaving out any that directly mentioned Liam. He didn’t know if she wanted him to do that or not, but he tried not to think too much about it. 

“There is no way,” she said, situating herself again on the couch, this time on her knees as she listened to his story. “That Louis Flipping Tomlinson jumped from three stories soccer ball in hand, shot it in a hoop then landed in the pool without breaking his neck. I know Louis, and I know for a fact that he has shit luck, and that if that story were true you would be one sick fucker for telling that story cause he’d be dead.” 

“I swear,” said Niall, laughing through his tears. They had been up for hours after they got back from the bar, she hadn’t bothered to change out of her dress, and Niall still hadn’t kicked his shoes off, but they had been bull shitting for hours. 

“Wait until I tell you the bra story….”

“Tomlinson and a bra?” she asked, hiding her red face behind her hands. Niall didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the stories, but he knew that he had rarely seen her so lovely as when she had been laughing like this. 

She grabbed Niall’s hand and his heart stopped. She turned his wrist and looked at his watch. 

“It’s late, Ni, I can’t believe you’ve been this irresponsible. A girl needs her sleep to know.” 

She let his hand go, and ran a hand through her hair. 

“We need to go to bed.” 

Niall swallowed his tongue. 

“Bed? Right,” he said, remembering how to speak. “I’ll go with you, gladly, help you unzip, hand you a towel when you get out of the shower.” 

“Cheeky,” she said and moved in to pinch his cheek. Wow, she was drunker than he thought, and with that comment, Niall was too. 

He grabbed her hand when she went to pull back, his eyes studying the lines in her wrist, the blue lines in her skin; the smell of her perfume still vibrant. He could blame it on the alcohol in the morning if this went badly, but he had too.

He lowered his head to her wrist and placed a small kiss where her arm met her hand. Niall didn’t hear the rush of breath that she took in at his action, his own heart was pounding too loudly for him to comprehend anything other than that. 

“Goodnight, Niall,” she said as his fingertips ghosted over her wrist releasing her. He listened as she walked up the stairs and opened the door to her bedroom door, but Niall never heard it shut. 

 

 

“He was a right terror in school, all the teacher’s hated him.”

“Bite your tongue, Mags, they loved me. Still do.”

“Yes,” Ollie said, “but only because now they get half your money if they marry you.”

“Ewww….” Niall and Tom shrieked together. “Thanks, but I’d rather not imagine old Mrs. Cutter riding Niall’s cock.” 

“Only you,” Niall said, looking at Tom. 

“Darn straight, you slut.”

“You’re the only one I’d share him with,” Maggie said, kissing Tom on the cheek. Tom took a sip of his drink, but Niall noted the blush to his cheeks. 

“Don’t I get a say in this?” asked Alex. “I feel like someone should take up for Mrs. Cutter.” 

“Oh,” Ollie said. “Jealous are we love?” 

Alex laughed, but Niall wasn’t sure that it was a real one. Ollie, Tom, and Maggie moved onto new subjects, barely conscious when Alex got up to go get some fresh air. Maggie asked her if she wanted her to come with her, but Alex told her that she’d just be a   
second. And Niall would have stayed in his seat, honestly he would have if she just hadn’t looked back when she got to the door. 

But she did. 

So, Niall got up. 

He followed her out into the alley and she looked at him like she had the other night and Niall too her hand in his kissing her wrist one more time.

And he’d like to blame a near death experience or that he just couldn’t help himself, but that wouldn’t have been true. He kissed her because he wanted to. He pulled her to him, and she molded alongside him like she was meant to fit there all along. “Yes,” she sighed against his lips pulling away for a desperate breath even as Niall backed her up against the side of the building. Her hips pushed forward slightly against his and yes, this is what he’s wanted, this is what he’s always wanted. Her tongue is in his mouth and she’s hot, flushed and panting, because of him. Proof. Proof that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. Niall grounds against her, and groans because fuck he never even dreamed it would feel like this. With all the blood in his body split between the thumping in his ears and his cock it’s a miracle he hears the whistles to their left and has enough brain power that isn’t busy humming Alex’s name to realize that they’re currently close to fucking in some dirty alley behind a bar where anyone can see. 

“Take me home, Niall,” Alex says, her voice so low it sounds like she’s pleading. Niall wonders how she can talk when all he can do is takes shallow breaths into her collarbone. Alex’s hands move up and down his back calming him, her breasts heaving against his chest, and without her lips pressing all the sanity from his body he pulls away and fuck she looks gorgeous. “Come home with me?” asks Niall, his hand held out in an invitation she still has time to deny. Alex moves towards him purposefully, her hands are gentle as they brush against the sides of his face. Niall closes his eyes against the sensations not sure he could stand it if she said no, not now, not after he’s had her taste in his mouth and his hands on her body. He can feel her breath on his cheek, ghosting up to the juncture in his ear. 

“Yes,” whispers Alex. For tonight she’s his, there’s no one else, and nothing left but to take her hand. 

 

Niall didn’t speed. They held hands as they walked to the door. Niall wasn’t going to rush this. Alex led them through the living room around the couch and coffee table. Her steps were measured as she led them up the stairs of Niall’s home. 

“I need to be in your bed,” Alex said as she shut his bedroom door. Alex lifted her shirt from her body, and Niall fell to his knees. He mouthed kisses across her stomach along the line of her jeans. His hands grasping her softly though she was starting to squirm with impatience. Her hands pulled at his hair as he raised up to mouth at the valley between her breasts. The thin fabric of her bra grew wet as Niall tongued the swollen bud. Alex swayed slighted awed at how so little contact could have her feeling so lost. 

“Fuck me, Niall,” and she didn’t care what it sounded like. Niall ignored her pleading, reaching up instead to slide one thin strap off her shoulder before moving to her other breast. Niall reached down to palm his cock through his pants in an attempt to give himself some relief. Back on his knees all he could do was stare at Alex like she was every answer he ever struggled to get right and now they were all right in front of him. Alex took a step back then another until the back of her legs hit the bed. Deliberately, she locked eyes with Niall, and her hands went behind her back. Niall didn’t hear her bra unclipping, he barely registered it leaving her frame and falling to the floor. 

“Lean back, back, back,” chanted Niall as his lips claimed her neck, his hands her bare breasts, his body hers. He helped her to the bed, somehow managing to undo her pants in the hurry. 

“Off. Off,” demanded Alex, sounding fucked. Niall pulled the pants from her body, intentionally passing his thumb over the middle of her underwear. She bucked up into his hand, and moaned his name. Chucking her pants to the side of the room he pulled off his shirt, and undid his own jeans too desperate to wait much longer. He hooked his thumb into the sides of her underwear, and she lifted her hips as Niall pulled them off revealing her to him. Niall pulled his jeans and briefs low enough so he could get a hand on his cock. He gave himself a quick tug, enough to keep him together before he pressed his body between her legs, but first he wanted to taste her. Alex’s legs over his shoulders his mouth against the most intimate part of her, and every sigh and with several “Oh fuck, Niall”’s filling his ears Niall could have come without a single touch. 

“In me,” Alex cried, sounding so sure. “I want this, I want you, only you, Ni.”

She was going to smell like him. In his bed, wrapped in the sheets he’s slept in, his body pressed to hers, his lips, his cock, she was going to smell like him, and she was going to feel him against her, in her. Niall shrugged the rest of the way out of his clothes, and yanked the drawer beside his bed open, thanking God there were some condoms. He slid it on careful of his throbbing cock, but he had to kiss her again. He didn’t want to ask if she was sure, he didn’t want her to think of this, him, as a mistake, but he had to be sure. He had to know that this wasn’t about getting back at Liam or because it was convenient or because she was feeling low and Niall just happened to be there to make her feel wanted. He need it to be more than that. “Alex,” his lips brushed hers. “Niall, please,” 

One last touch in case it was all he got. “This is what I wanted,” she said, her hands coming up to rest along his cheeks. “You’re what I wanted.” And Niall wasn’t going to let this slip by because of all the things Niall’s ever wanted she was it. The entirety, complete. Nothing exceeded her, so when she tilted her head up and kissed him with every bit of want he hadn’t been able to express in nearly a year he kissed her back. He moved his hand to press his palm against her clit, his fingers pressing down as he positioned himself. Alex gasped as Niall entered her, he wasn’t going to last. Too much delayed gratification, need, and her skin. Hands on either side of her head Niall straightened his arms giving him the leverage he needed to fuck into her as hard as he needed too. Her hands went to his ass as she pulled her knees up. Her back arched as Niall pushed harder against her clit. Niall could feel her tightening around him, his own orgasm close as he kissed her, sucking her tongue into his mouth. He gripped the sheets by her head, reaching for anything to keep him grounded until she came. And with a few more pulls and his name on her lips she did. Niall choked out a sigh of relief and was grateful Alex couldn’t hear it, her orgasm leaving her looking sated. 

“Come on, Ni,” Alex urged. “Fuck me, let me feel you.”

Alex tipped her head back as she felt Niall move inside her once again. Niall took it as the invitation it was and nipped at her neck, licking at her salty skin. Then, he lowered his head, the weight of his next thrust demanding all of his focus. Stilling only, when those fast thrusts turned deliberate and he came. His orgasm shaking him. He loved her. He wanted to keep this. Her. Them. Alex moved her hands over his back soothingly before she brushed some of his bangs out of his face. And Niall knew he wasn’t giving this up for anything.


	6. Chapter 6

“That was a lot easier,” said Alex rolling to her side. Niall was confused. Alex placed a kiss to his chest. 

“I didn’t have to undress you that time. Though, I did enjoy that part last night.” 

‘Ditto,” replied Niall, kissing her deep. He had just came, but fuck if his cock didn’t stir when Alex let out a throaty moan. “You’re insatiable,” Niall scolded playfully. 

“I’d hardly call three times insatiable.” Niall rolled over, hovering over her before he kissed her. He smirked at her, his mouth going to her ear. “I was literally just inside you, and you want to go again. I’d call that insatiable.” Alex ran her hand down his back, stopping at his arse. He didn’t think he could, but fuck if his dick wasn’t putting up one heck of an argument. Alex smiled like she was in on it. When Alex’s hand went to his cock, he knew it was a conspiracy. 

“Let’s take a shower,” suggested Alex. Niall could only nod as she continued her ministrations on his cock. 

It was different in the bright light of his bathroom. Niall had never been shy off his body, and with the amount of attention he was lavishing on her he hoped Alex wouldn’t be either. She was fucking gorgeous. Niall turned on the shower to warm, loving how she looked in his space. When he bought the place, he knew he’d have to do some renovations. This bathroom was one of the first things on the list. He wanted one of those old claw foot tubs. It would be the only antique in the otherwise fully modern bathroom. The shower was big enough for at least ten people, different knobs and shower heads depending on what pressure you wanted. Niall sometimes felt like he was in a Nickleback song when he showered in there. 

“Come here,” said Niall stepping under the spray. He watched as the droplets dripped down her chest, over her breasts, pebbling on her nipples. He put his hand on her waist, and pulled her further underneath the spray. She squealed as the water got her in the face. Alex pushed him back. Niall watched as she stepped fully under the water, and rinsed her hair. 

“I smell like you,” she said, sounding proud. 

“Want me to wash me off of you,” Niall asked approaching her with some of his body wash.

She turned to him, hands going to his shoulders. “I want you….to fuck me in your fancy shower. Then,” she said. “You can wash my hair with your fancy shampoo. If you think you’re up for the challenge.” 

Niall cupped her breasts with his hands, thumb brushing over her nipples. “I think I can handle that.”

“Good,” she said, leaning back against the shower wall as Niall sank to his knees, kissing down her stomach. 

 

Niall has yet to find a space he feels more comfortable than between Alex’s thighs. The way she smells, the way she tastes, every bit of her feels likes home. And Niall loved how she sounded. The no holds way that she moaned and the quick breaths that she took when she was close, her thighs tightening around his head as she pushed her legs together to get there a little quicker. He ran a soothing hand down her thigh urging her to be patient, even as her foot went up and moved down his back. 

He looked up and watched her as he ate her out. So, fucking gorgeous. Niall moved against the bed, trying to give himself some friction. 

His friends were starting to notice, but Niall didn’t care. Ollie had pulled him aside when he caught Alex’s hand on his knee, but Niall had told him to mind his own darn business and the two of them had left and Niall had fucked her on his kitchen floor. 

“Stop, Ni,” she said, pulling on his hair. “I want to be on top,” she said. Niall placed a sweet kiss to her clit before rolling over onto his back.

“Yes, ma’am,” he saluted. She kissed him and moved into place. She rode him fast and hard, hands on her own breasts teasing and pulling at her nipples as she fucked him. Her chest met his as she shook, pulling on his cock just trying to get that much more pleasure from him. Niall pulled on her hips snapping up into her as he, too, came.

She laid on his chest, breathing in his neck. They were both covered in sweat. The air outside was humid. It was definitely going to rain later, but they had no plans. Niall helped her to his side, as he slid off the condom and tossed it into the trash. She took up residency by his side, playing with the hair on his chest. 

“I saw you with Ollie the other night,” 

Niall had thought that she had saw something, but since she hadn’t said anything he didn’t think it was a big deal. 

“Just waiting to butter me up with a couple good orgasms before you asked me about it?” Niall teased. 

“No,” Alex sighed. “It’s just.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing some behind her ear. She had some smeared mascara by her eyes, and Niall was sure he was wearing more of her lipstick than she was, but neither of them seemed to care. 

“What does he think about us?”

“Do you give a fuck?” Niall asked her. This was not something that he wanted to talk about, but he couldn’t tell her no. 

“No,” she said honestly. “I don’t care because I know that he loves you.”

“Alex,” 

“No, I mean it, Niall. Ollie loves you, and Tom and Maggie, and I just don’t want them to get the impression that this is a mistake.” 

A mistake? Niall was sure that it wasn’t that, but they hadn’t really talked about what “it” was since that first night. Niall knew that he wanted this, and he knew that at the time Alex wanted it to. She had meant the things that she said then, but how would she feel when they were forced to go back to the real world. What would other people say when he showed up in London with Liam’s ex-girlfriend on his arm? The tabloids would have a field day, and some of his and Liam’s mutual friends may never speak to him again. But, Niall knew that none of that mattered if he had her. 

He didn’t need or care about any of that as long as it meant that he still had her. But he didn’t know what she thought. 

He leaned over and kissed the top of her head. 

“I don’t care what they think,” he told her honestly. “But I don’t think you have to worry, they love you too already.”

She laughed. “Very easy to please your friends.”

Niall laughed to as Alex moved so she was leaning on her elbow so she could see him better. 

“They are,” agreed Niall. 

“But very nice.”

“That too,” Niall said, remembering all the times that his friends had been there for him, and knowing that even if Ollie had some concerns that he would get over them soon enough. Niall would apologize for being a dick and Ollie would go back to obsessing over his latest pull. And things would be normal. 

“You going to L.A, soon?” she asked. “I’m pretty anxious to see what you can crank out on your own.”

“Yeah,” Niall looked at the watch on his hand that wasn’t there. He had taken it off last night, and even though it was mid-day neither of them had bothered with getting dressed when they knew that they were just going to get naked again at the next available opportunity. 

As much as Niall teased her about being insatiable, Niall knew that he was exactly the same way. 

“You should come with me,” he offered, trying to make it sound like he wasn’t as serious as he really was, just in case she wanted to refuse. He didn’t want to make her feel like she had to do anything. 

She sat up, not caring about her state of undress. “He asked me to come with him. He said that after the tour was over and you started the hiatus that he wanted me to come with him to L.A.,” she said. Liam. That got Niall’s attention. 

“What did you say?” 

“I told him that I couldn’t, that I had a job and a life and that I couldn’t just pack up and leave to L.A. just because he wanted me too.” 

She sighed, and Niall resisted the urge to place a hand on her back. 

“He looked at me and asked me if he wasn’t more important than a little bit of time off. With Liam it was less of a question and more of a command. He wanted me to be in L.A with him no matter what. It was like he thought that when he wasn’t around that I   
didn’t have a life, that time stopped until he was present in one way or another. That’s probably why it was so easy for me to believe it.” 

She reached down and pulled up one of their shirts from the floor. Niall recognized it as his as she slipped it on. 

“He had asked me to come visit right before that. We got in this big argument about me taking time off and I told him that I couldn’t that I had just been out to see him a month before and that I couldn’t spare the time away. He told me that he would pay whatever I needed, that if money was the issue not to bother, but that wasn’t it, you know.”

Niall shook his head, listening intently. 

“It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford to come out, but that I take my job seriously. My work may not be as showy and I might not make as much money as he does, but that doesn’t mean that what I do is any less important.” 

“I know that,” he dared to say. Niall had remembered that fight. Liam had darn near tossed the computer out of the bus windows when she had ended the skype session. It had taken Louis several hours to calm Liam down, and even then it was another phone call to Alex that had put him in somewhat of a better mood. 

“He called and apologized and of course, I told him that it was okay. I thought that was that, that he understood. I was never what he really wanted. He wanted this perfectly behaved, Stepford Wife, but I just couldn’t be that for him. I just couldn’t.”

She didn’t look away from him, and Niall was grateful, if she started to cry he wanted to see so that he could take care of her, but she didn’t look upset. She was just telling him something, sharing with him a part of her that he had never seen before. The part that was Liam’s, Niall’s brain supplied, but that wasn’t right. She wasn’t Liam’s, she wasn’t what Liam had wanted right then, and she didn’t concede to what Liam had wanted her to become because there was no Liam’s Alex or Niall’s Alex, there was just Alex. 

“So does that mean that you don’t want to come to L.A.?” Niall asked. 

Alex laughed. She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss. “It means that I’m taking a shower, you may join me or you may choose not to.”

She climbed up off the bed, and made her way to the bathroom. Niall waited until the shower was running before sitting up. 

He knew the weight of what she had just shared with him. All this time he had just assumed that her and Liam’s relationship had been perfect because that’s all that he got to see. He had been an outside member in their relationship, and that was that.   
Only Liam and Alex truly knew what it was like between them, and Niall knew that he had to stop making assumptions. 

He sits up and checks his phone. 

8 Messages from Liam. 

2 Voicemails. 

Fuck you, Niall thought, deleting the messages and voicemails without reading them. It wasn’t unusual for Liam to text or call him this much nor for Niall to take a while in getting back to him. 

Let Liam wait. Niall had a girl to learn about in his shower.


	7. Chapter 7

The place was pretty amazing. Niall hadn’t been too psyched when Maggie and Tom told him that they were going to renew their wedding vows, but here he was. 

“You’ve been married like three years,” he had said, but the group had shushed him. Alex thought it was romantic while Ollie seemed to agree with him that it was a bit redundant. 

“You’re the most in love couple that I know, why do you need to do this?” Ollie had asked. 

Maggie had leveled him with a look and told him that all of her old Uni friends would be coming in for the party, and that had put Ollie on board with the whole thing. There was only one place in town that could hold that many people luckily Maggie was a downright decorating genius. And she had done it. With Alex’s help the placed looked fantastic. Niall had spent all day with Tom as the girls and their respective families helped with the party. 

Thank goodness, Maggie said that it wasn’t going to be as big as their first wedding. That thing had been a disaster, and Niall had felt the rod up and down his back until they opened the bar and he got a few drinks in him. 

Maggie looked beautiful then, and she was a beautiful second time bride as well.  
“Think of it as a more formal party,” Maggie had said, trying to get Niall on board. “It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”

“Besides,” she said to Niall in an aside. “You’ll get to see Alex all dressed up,”

Okay, Niall thought, it might not be that bad an idea after all. 

Tom had asked Niall to be his best man. He had walked down the aisle with Maggie’s eleven year old sister, who had stared at him in amazement. He was pretty sure she didn’t even know who One Direction was, but was just in awe of his blonde locks. Either way Alex had insisted that she get a picture of the two of them before the ceremony. 

He spotted her sitting toward the front. Her eyes on the bride and groom as they said their vows for the second time, discretely wiping at her eyes when it was over. Ollie was sucking the face of one of the bride’s guests, and Alex was steadfastly trying to ignore their groping. She looked gorgeous in her simple light pink dress. It matched her skin tone, and hair perfectly. She had let it down into simple waves, knowing that with all the dancing at the party that she would most likely get to hot to have it any elaborate way. 

Niall had pulled her into his arms as soon as he got the chance. His hands automatically finding the bare spots where her dress didn’t cover. It was a spaghetti strapped dress, and though she had a little shawl, Niall wasn’t sure where it had ended up. 

“I know you lost it, little sneak,” said Alex, giving his bum a little squeeze in scolding. 

He bit her ear. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ms. Ballerini.”

“Don’t you?” she asked, grabbing his hand and putting it back on her waist even as he made a move for her bum. 

“Don’t want to make Declan jealous, now do we?” she asked with a smirk. 

“He knows our love is real,” defended Niall. Alex gave him an odd look, but kept dancing so Niall did too. 

She knew that he meant him and Declan, but that didn’t keep Niall from wishing that he had said something like that about the two of them. It wouldn’t have been a lie. He loved her. He did. 

Niall just wasn’t sure how she would feel about such an admission. 

The reception was outside in a large courtyard like area, and Niall was glad for once that it wasn’t raining in Ireland. As much as he hadn’t been on board with this, he still didn’t want it to rain on Maggie and Tom’s second big day. 

The couple were dancing a few feet away from Niall and Alex eyes only for each other, and Niall could only hope that one day that he would get a fraction of what they had. Someone who knew you, and loved you regardless, not from obligation, but purely because of want. Like how he loved Alex. 

“They really love each other, don’t they?” Alex asked him, drawing him back to the moment. 

“They have forever it seems,” Niall answered. “I remember back in school before Tom bucked up the courage to ask her out it was Maggie this and Maggie that….it was annoying really.”

Alex laughed, shushing him. “But it was worth it,” she said. 

“Now, yeah, but it wasn’t always easy for them. They actually broke up once. It was fucking tragic. Maggie went away for University and Tom told her that he wasn’t going to follow. He had just gotten a job at a place in town, and it was….comfortable for him, you know. When Maggie left, it was like he couldn’t function any longer. He barely slept, didn’t want to go out, drank too much, but Maggie wasn’t doing much better. She was just as bad.”

“Half a heart,” said Alex and Niall laughed. 

“Yeah, actually,” said Niall. “But they worked it out. They found each other again, and now, here we are….”

“It’s no wonder then that they wanted to do this. They want to celebrate all the time they have together.”

“Yeah,” said Niall. “Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it like that.”

“And here you were being a scrooge about the whole thing.”

“I’m here aren’t I,” said Niall. 

Alex tutted. “Don’t act like you’re not here just so that I’ll let you get me out of this dress later.”

Niall nosed at her jawline. 

“Am I that transparent?” he asked. 

“When I can feel you pressing up against me, yes,” she answered. 

The pair locked eyes and as Niall led her around the dance floor among all the other couples in love he felt like something had settled for him. Something deep inside his gut, something unmistakable. It wasn’t his any longer, no more sense of self-preservation, no, now that belonged to her. He didn’t care what happened to him any longer, or the state of his own heart as long as Alex’s was safe. 

“Come with me,” she said. 

Alex led him past the other couples and off the dance floor. They walked past the tables that had been set up, and dodged the people who wanted to talk to them with an easy grace. She was a woman on a mission, and when they were far enough from the party, and anyone who could happen to walk up on them, Alex went for his belt buckle. 

“Here?” Niall asked, as Alex managed to get his belt off, and pants open, her hand on his hardening cock as she breathed a “Yes” into his neck. 

“Alright,” Niall said, not needing much more convincing when she was stroking him like that. She kissed him with heat, slipping out of her dress, the tiny straps slipping past her shoulders allowing her step out of her dress with ease. She was wearing a strapless bra underneath that which she discarded easily, the trees around them the only cover in case someone happened to be watching. 

“I don’t care,” she said, even as she stepped out of her underwear. 

“Fuck me, Ni, I’m feeling romantic.”

Niall stopped her from laying back to quickly, spreading his jacket out on the ground beneath her. 

“What a gentleman,” she laughed. 

“I aim to please,” Niall replied. 

“I know you do,” she said. 

Niall pulled his shirt out of his pants as he settled between her legs. Alex undid the buttons on his shirt, and got at his pale skin. He put his hands on either side of her head. He had been half ready for this all day, and Alex seemed to be in quite the hurry. 

“No one’s going to see,” said Niall before he kissed her breathless. He wanted her to enjoy this, and he feared she wasn’t if he rushed like she seemed to want him too. 

“It’s not that,” she said, solidly grounding up against his hardening cock. “I just, I need you Ni, please.”

Something was wrong. She sounded desperate, but not in the sexy kind of way, but in a truly desperate kind of way. 

“I need you to fill me, Ni, please, come on.”

Niall rolled over, pulling her to his chest. 

“Yes,” she sighed, thinking that he just wanted a new position. 

“No,” Niall said. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked, hand massaging his cock through his boxers. “I know you want me.” 

“I do,” Niall said. “But,” he grabbed her hand. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing,” she said dismissing him. 

“Something,” he answered. He wasn’t going to do this if she was acting like this. As much as wanted her, he needed her to be open to him in every way not just her body.

“Is this about Liam?” he asked. 

Alex took in a deep breath, and the shaking that had been prevalent in her hands and body seemed to stop if just for a moment. 

She wouldn’t look at him. She plucked at the grass near his head, but Niall wasn’t giving up. He put his hand on the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. They hadn’t shared this much nor got this far so that she could pull away now. Did she want to go? Did she not want this anymore? If that was the case then Niall would let her go, as much as he didn’t want to, as much as he wanted her for as long as he could get her, until they could throw one of these ridiculous vow renewal parties of their own, but if she wanted to, Niall would….

“I love you.”

Niall blanked. Surely it wasn’t him that said that. Because at hearing those words Niall had forgotten how to speak. 

“And I know that this might not even mean anything to you, but it’s true and I just couldn’t do this without saying anything, not with you looking at me like that, and how you touch me…..And I know Liam and the boys and your life and I might not fit, and I might not be what you want, but….”

Niall kissed her. 

He kissed her like he had always wanted to, no filter needed to block out how much he wanted her or how much he had always wanted her. He would tell her in the morning, everything, but right now, he wanted, he needed to assure her, to be inside her. 

Niall leaned her back onto his jacket, and rolled a condom on his length. He loved her, he needed her, he wanted to make her feel good and wanted and here, and his. And nothing else mattered in that moment but that. 

“I love you, too,” he said before he took her.


	8. Chapter 8

It was early, Niall could tell that much. He turned over in bed, but couldn’t feel Alex beside him. He listened, but he couldn’t hear her in the shower either. No pans were banging around in the kitchen and the house was devoid of her footsteps. 

He blinked his eyes open, and saw the note on the table closest to her side of the bed. 

 

Gone for breakfast. Be back soon. 

Love, 

Alex. 

 

Niall trudged down the stairs before plopping down on the couch. He was going to tell him. Niall had decided that much last night. He was going to tell Liam what was going on between him and Alex. Niall knew that this was more than just a fling. This was something that was going to last, and if they were to have any sort of a future than Liam needed to be told first. It was luck then that the phone rang. 

“Hello,” Niall said, feeling as if he didn’t even need to call on some more courage as he prepared to tell Liam the truth. He was ready. He could do this.

“Niall, man, I’m so glad you picked up,” Liam sounded frantic. 

“What’s wrong?” asked Niall. Liam laughed into the receiver. He sounded delusional. 

“Alright, mate?” 

“I’m great,” said Liam. “Louis hasn’t called you has he?” 

Niall huffed. “Why would he Liam? What’s going on?” 

“Niall, I told you. I told everyone. It was all a set up. That girl in Spain she came up to me and kissed me. She had a guy there ready to take the photo. They set me up, I never cheated on Alex. They were going to use it to blackmail me, but the girl apparently couldn’t wait and went and sold the photo to a magazine instead.”

Niall’s heart sank. “,but” started Niall. 

“How did they even know you would be there?” 

“One of her friends works at the hotel we were staying in and tipped her off. It all makes sense I’ve been trying to call Alex, but she’s changed her number. My lawyer is going to town on this. He’s going to break it to the press as soon as possible then when Alex sees it everything will go back to the way it used to be. Look Niall I just wanted to let you know because I know things haven’t been right between us, but it will be,” promised Liam. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll talk to you later, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” Niall agreed meekly. Liam hung up.

Niall didn’t know that Liam suspected that it had been a set up because Niall had been deleting Liam’s messages as soon as he got them. While Liam was on a crusade to prove that he hadn’t actually cheated on Alex Niall had been fucking his girlfriend. Niall had automatically assumed that Liam was guilty. He hadn’t even given his friend the benefit of the doubt. 

Twenty minutes. Liam didn’t say when the press would be getting the story, but Niall knew from experience it wouldn’t be long. A week at the most. The people involved wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut for longer, and the way Liam had sounded on the phone he would want to get it out as soon as possible. Alex would want to know as soon as possible. Niall turned on the television like he expected the news to already be there. 

“No,” Niall said aloud. His doubtful hands reaching out to her even as a part of his mind knew, knew with absolute certainty that Alex was only there with him because Liam wasn’t in the picture. Niall felt sick like he was suffering from a stab wound, his gut slowly filling with his own blood. He had forced her into this. Despite everything she had said and the things they had done to the contrary, Niall knew Alex wouldn’t want to stay with him. She wouldn’t want to, but she would.   
She would feel obligated. Each part of him she had touched, every word she had said in an intimate moment would be like a binding contract for Alex. One she couldn’t and wouldn’t break. He had said he loved her. How could he have been so foolish? It was an indulgence to let himself think of her like that in the first place. To think that she could be his no strings attached. He had done this. He had kissed her when he knew what she was dealing with, when he had carried her to his bed. Niall knew and even if he didn’t at the time, Niall knew if he let her stay that he would be taking advantage of her. He would be putting himself first once again. It would be selfish and wrong, and no, no. He had to let her go. And he had to make sure she never thought of him again. 

 

 

Alex opened the door, her foot nudged to keep it open as she pushed inside. Her arms laden with food she blows some stray hair out of her face. 

“Care to give me a hand Niall?”

“Ni, where are you, bumsickle?” Alex spots him in the kitchen. “That place was a madhouse. Some old lady tried to poke my eye out for the last chocolate donut.” 

“You’ve got to go,” said Niall. Alex’s lips quirk up like he’s just cracked a joke. “Chill, Ni, I arm wrestled her for it,” Alex sets the bags down on the table, leaning in to kiss him, but Niall pulls away. 

“Don’t worry,” she says, brushing a hand over his hair affectionately. “I beat her.” 

“No,” says Niall his voice stern. “You can’t stay here anymore,” clarifies Niall. Alex’s face squints up in confusion. “It’s been fun, but I mean, my breaks almost over, and I’ve got some plans back in London so….” 

And he can see it. Niall can see her about to ask what the big deal is. She’ll be there too it’s not like she lives in Texas or anything, but then it hits her. 

Niall continues. 

“Liam’s my best mate, you know…” 

Alex bites the inside of her lip. “Yeah,” she mutters, understanding clear on her face. “Fuck you.”

She turns and leaves the room and just like that confrontations over. Niall sucks in a breath he’s been holding. He runs a hand through his fading blonde hair. He listens, waiting for signs that say she’s moving around upstairs. Some of her things are still in Niall’s room. Clothes, possibly her hairbrush, Niall’s not sure. The beds still a mess from where they had made love that morning. The sheets will be rumpled and they will smell like her. She’ll move some of his stuff to get to hers, separating them without looking back. 

“Was it all just pity?” 

Niall doesn’t even turn his head when he answers, yes. “And you’re fit.” 

“Is this about Liam? Did he call you? Did he find out about us?” 

“No,” answers Niall. 

“I don’t want him Niall.” Not like you. The words hang there for him to grab onto, but Niall can’t because she’ll stay. She belongs with Liam, not him. She turns towards the door, bag all packed. Niall doesn’t look up. He schools his expression into one of stoic boredom. And Alex is furious. Furious she should have seen this coming. Pissed at Niall for being such a fucking coward. 

“It was just to get you in my bed,” says Niall. “I wanted to make you feel wanted so for a few days I wanted you. But we have to get back to the way things were.” She’s crying, but Niall doesn’t acknowledge it. She turns away when he faces her. 

“We weren’t going to last forever,” she says. 

Niall isn’t sure if she means them or her and Liam, but she’s out the door before he can tell himself not to ask.


	9. Chapter 9

Turning on his side Niall pulls his drawer open and grabs his notebook and a pen. Alex always said it was pretentious of him to own a leather bound songwriting book when he could have gotten a spiral one for a buck, but Niall tried not to think about that now. He had a couple of these, one was in his bag that he would show different songwriters or the boys, but this one was only for him and all the words in it were before her. Niall wasn’t sure, now, if he could write anything after her. In music, real stories are almost always better material then imagination, but they are also the hardest to get right. If he wrote about her now then Niall was sure the whole world would see right through him. They’d hear him tell her he loves her and they’d hear when he took it all back. His regret, his jealously, his guilt and want would spill itself into every word and they would know. Niall chucked his notebook as far as he could. It hit the wall with a clang.   
It was raining like a son of a bitch. Niall was set to record some new stuff in L.A before heading back to London, not doubt it be fucking raining there too. Let it rain, he thought, it wasn’t like he was planning on leaving the house for much anyway. By the time Niall landed back in London the news of Liam’s redemption was everywhere. The Sun sang his praises trying to redeem themselves after all the shit they dragged him through the past few weeks. Every tabloid and morning show were singing the praises of the boyband member who had gone to such lengths to get his girl back. Niall admitted it was a much better cover story than Niall Horan steals best mate and group members girlfriend Yes, this was better. Niall flopped back. At least his bed was comfortable. His house was normally a web of activity. Multiple televisions going, his phone beeping endlessly with new emails and texts he had to reply to right then, video games, his house full of voices because everyone was over at once.  
No, Niall didn’t have a quiet home, but today it was quiet. Like, all at once Niall’s friends all had something better to do and his business partners all finally decided to call his assistant instead like they were supposed to. He had dropped his phone with the rest of his stuff in the kitchen when he came home, and hadn’t bothered to retrieve it. He hadn’t even made it to the shower though he knew he smelled like the airport. Twitter was out of the question, so was tv, unless he wanted to watch a movie. Deciding fuck that, Niall squirmed around readjusting the pillows behind his head. For someone who always wished for just five minutes of peace, Niall sure didn’t know what to do with it when it came.   
It was inevitable. Niall knew he would see her again, but he thought he had dealt with that clenching in his gut at the thought of her and was disappointed in himself to find he hadn’t gotten rid of it yet. He spotted her across the room on Liam’s arm. Niall knew they were back together though he had avoided Twitter and grocery story tabloids like the plague, but this was another league. He had ignored Liam’s calls and deleted his messages and voice mails without opening them, but he knew. 

She fit on Liam’s arm the way Niall knew she would never on his. Liam led her into the room proudly and Niall wanted to run. Ten or so more handshakes should do it, Niall thought, then he’d be able to leave. An event his record label was hosting Niall thought he’d be safe seeing as Liam had signed with someone else. There were few places left in London that were free to him. He kept one eye on her as he made sure he kept to the opposite side of the room, avoiding their line of sight the best he could. He’d get out of here unscathed yet. 

“Niall,” a voice called, the owner clapping Niall on the back soundly. 

“Harry,” he exclaims. Niall thanking God he didn’t choke. He looked like London Harry again, a big faux fur lined coat and a white t-shirt, he was a far cry from when Niall had last seen him in L.A, wearing a silk black shirt and a floral tie hanging loosely from his neck. Niall always teased him saying that there was more than one Harry. London Harry had different friends than L.A. Harry, they ate different things, spoke differently, but each of them had the look Niall was getting now. 

“Forget it, Harry, I’m going to get a drink.” 

And he left London Harry standing before he could get a word in. Like Harry had any room to judge, Niall was one of the few who knew the demons that boy was running from. 

 

 

Okay, he was completely gone to the world. 

“Fuck it,” thought Niall. The bar was free, and it wasn’t like she was looking at him anyway. He had no one to act prim for. So, Niall was intent on making a fool out of himself. He waited as Harry made eyes at him from across the room, locking gazes as he deliberately took another shot of whatever the hell was in his glass. Niall wished with all his heart that he’d just fuck off back to L.A before he decided to give Niall another lecture. 

As the night went on Niall knew even in his drunken fog that the possibility of Liam or Alex catching him for a chat increased, but still his butt remained on the bar stool. 

“Another one, mate?” asked the barkeeper. 

“Yes.”

“No.”

Two people spoke at once. Niall was sure at least one of them was him. Seeing her now felt like nothing more than the aftershocks of an earthquake. 

“What are you doing Niall?”

“What are you doing Alex? Having fun with Liam? It’s a great party isn’t it?”

“Well, you’re having loads of fun, drink half the bar yet, or are you not quite there?” 

“Engaged yet?” Niall fires back. “Isn’t that the next step in your soap opera?” 

The thought made his stomach sick, but he had sentenced himself to it already. 

“No,” she answered instead. She moved the stool so that she could sit beside him. His body tensed scooting to the left to make sure that no part of her touched him. He wouldn’t be able to keep up his cool façade if she did. 

“You should go home.” 

“And what would you know about it?” he asks her. “Why would you care about what I do?” 

She changes the subject. 

“I saw Harry earlier. He said you were feeling a little out of sorts.”

“Fuck Harry! He doesn’t know anything at all.” 

She huffs. “He’s known you for years, I’d say that he knows you at least a little bit.”

Niall knows that’s probably fair, but he’s not feeling overly generous at the moment. 

“Liam knows me too, probably better than Harry.”

He felt her stiffen. 

“So what do you think he’ll see when he finds us here together?” Niall leans over to her, initiating the contact between them for the first time since he told her that he didn’t want her anymore. 

His lips brush her ear as he whispers to her. “He’ll see every inch of skin that I have touched on your body. He’ll see my fingers inside of you, and your mouth around my cock. He’ll see every moment and hasty breath. He’ll see it and he’ll know that I   
have touched you.”

Alex pulled away, her hand flying up to smack Niall across the face. Niall having guessed her intention grabbed her hand. 

“Now,” he said. “do you want to explain it to him or do you want me to?”

“Fuck you, Niall.” She laughed. “If you want to kill yourself then go ahead, the only reason I came over here was because I was worried about you.” 

“I don’t need your pity, Alex.” 

She turned to walk away, then stopped. She never was one to go quietly. 

“It took me months. Five to be exact. Five months to tell him that I loved him, but with you, I just knew. And it’s not the same,” she stopped. “I don’t think it ever will be.”

Niall didn’t turn around. 

“You belong with him.” He pretended not to hear the, “Do I?” as he stood from the stool and walked away from her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with this story. I hope you enjoyed Alex and Niall they were a lot of fun to write. This will also be posted on Tumblr if you want to recheck it out there. Thank you all so much.

Three months later.

 

He had to go to the store. He was out of everything and his friends were boycotting helping him right now. Fine. Niall didn’t need them. He had been in a bad humor for weeks, and didn’t care much about seeing them anyway. 

He drove to the store, miraculously finding a spot not to far from the store. He pulled a cart out of the stall and grabbed some chips before taking off toward the liquor aisle, his mother’s voice in his head asking him if he’s going to get some vegetables this trip or just junk? Deciding against broccoli this trip he figured some oranges or something wouldn’t go amiss. He stopped midway, the smell of something familiar halting him in his tracks. 

Her perfume. 

It could be anyone’s, Niall thought. She always bought that cheap stuff anyway or maybe it was just a bit of his imagination turning on him once again. He was getting better not seeing her. He was moving on though he couldn’t bring himself to see anyone since her. As far as he was concerned there was no one but her. He had immersed himself in work, and was coming out with some pretty great stuff. Turns out a broken heart was good for something, just ask Adele. 

He whipped his cart around instantly bumping into the person behind him. The two carts bumped into each other, making a hellish noise that rang throughout the store. Several eyes turned to look at them. 

“Sorry,” said Niall. “I wasn’t payin….”

“It’s okay, Niall.” She picked something up from the front of her cart. “At least my cantaloupe is still intact.”

It’s been months, Niall knows, but she looks so different. 

“You cut your hair.” She moves a hand up to her now shoulder length hair almost self-consciously. 

“It looks good,” Niall adds quickly. Alex smiles. 

“Thanks.”

They stand there awkwardly staring at one another, but neither seems to feel the need to move. 

“We’re not together anymore you know?”

Niall knew. Liam had told him all about it months ago, but he and Niall didn’t talk much anymore. They were both moving on with their lives no longer closely entwined since the band was done and they were each doing their own thing. 

“I know,” replied Niall. 

“I’m happy,” she said. And she looked it. 

She never needed Liam. Niall had been wrong. She never belonged to him. And as much as Niall thought, she never belonged to him either. There was only ever one Alex, not Niall’s not Liam’s, she just was. 

“That’s all I ever wanted.” She smiles at him because Alex knows. 

“Well,” says Niall. “I’ve got to get going.” He didn’t know where he had to go, but this is what he wanted, all he ever wanted, was for Alex to be happy. He wasn’t going to ruin that now. She was happy, that was it. 

Niall turns slowly toward the checkout. 

“Wait,” Niall turns slowly. Alex smiles. 

“Come feel up some apples with me?” she offers. And it’s like that first time. But instead of letting her go without saying anything, Niall was going to stay. 

“Sure,” he says and he knows that this was inevitable. No matter what happened or who was between them or where he went or what he did that all roads led here. To her. 

 

The End


End file.
